Overview

Hello world! My name is Sydney O’Toole and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Milton, MA

I’ve been involved in music my whole life: I’ve been in concert bands, jazz bands, choirs, and musicals for as long as I can remember. It wasn’t until the last few years, though, that I fell in love with songwriting. It took me a while to find the confidence to share my work, but when I did, I was met with overwhelming support from friends, family, and even complete strangers online. Since then, I’ve been writing prolifically, performing at open mics, songwriter rounds, radio shows, with my band, and posting everything I write online. The next step is to record and share the songs I’ve written with the world.

The material is ready, and the musicians are waiting -- this Plaid Dog campaign is the final step toward creating my first ever, professionally produced studio album.

This campaign is raising funds for my professionally recorded album with Ryan Gallagher in Boston, MA. Ryan is a seasoned Boston-based producer and engineer with experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together, Ryan and I are digging into my original material, writing arrangements, and reaching out to local musicians to bring the songs to life. 

We’ve been able to cover the costs of recording and producing one song, which is ready for you to check out right here on this page. This first song is called “Bitch,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "Bitch” on my own, to create an album of songs of this quality, studio costs add up quickly. With that said, this campaign can give us a unique opportunity to collaborate and make great art together. Your donation will cover the following costs of my project:

1. Pre-Production: This is where everything starts. Ryan and I will start crafting the arrangements for each song slated for the album. We’ll hold rehearsals to fine-tune the songs and arrangements and talk through new and exciting ideas for how to approach the recording process.

2. Recording: This is when we enter the studio and start capturing the music and where the songs become what you'll hear on this album. This campaign will play a huge role in making sure we have enough time to capture great performances for every member of the band.

3. Mixing & Mastering: Each track will get mixed to create the right balance between instruments, texture and color that make up a track. As a final step, the album will be mastered from beginning to end so that the listening experience is cohesive and carefully choreographed from start to finish.

And what will you get for your generosity and support? So many awesome things!

I am so appreciative and grateful for any support you can lend to this campaign. In exchange for your generosity, I've put together a really exciting group of gifts that are available exclusively through your participation in this campaign.

Check out some examples below and a full list to the right!

It's hard to express how much this project would change my life.

For a long time, I would keep everything I wrote to myself, and I was afraid of being laughed at for writing songs. With such high-caliber music being released, it felt like everything I had to say would be mediocre at best compared to these artists I look up to, and I could barely perform covers without feeling a pit in my stomach. The more I wrote, though, the more I wanted to share my music with others, and when I took the first step, I was met with such a supportive and loving community. I finally feel I am in the place to offer up my music to the music community that has been so welcoming.

I have dedicated a lot of time to improving at my craft. I’ve worked on my singing, my playing, my writing, and have done my best to push myself to keep improving with whatever free time I have between work, school, and other obligations. It didn’t take long to notice that the more I grew as a musician, the more I grew as a person. Songwriting has been transformative for strengthening my sense of self, and it’s allowed me to become very secure and confident in the path I want to forge for my music.

This project is a big step into uncharted territory for me. I’ve never worked in a professional studio, run a crowdfunding campaign, created merchandise, and promoted my music on a scale such as this. With the support of the Plaid Dog team, family, friends, and beyond, I’m ready to take this next step in my music career. With your support, I intend to keep pushing myself to improve and create music that is a reflection of all the hard work, dedication, and passion I have put into my craft over the years. I hope you’ll join me on this journey!

If you're ready to contribute, just click the "Back This Project" button on the top right of this page! Every little bit counts, and I’m so grateful for all your support.

If you have folks in your network that would be interested in supporting me, please feel free to share this page with them.

Thank you so much for checking out my campaign page. I can't wait to share this music with you.